Display sign



1959 a. J. PAWELKA ,8 ,5 8.

DISPLAY SIGN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 1. 1957 Gustav John l a fQ aika- B Mai Feb. 3, 1959 J. PAWELKA 2,871,598

' DISPLAY SIGN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 1. 1957 27 Gustav John Pawelka DISPLAY SIGN Gustav John Pawelka, Glenwood Landing, N. Y., assignor to Fa'irhaven Properties Corp, Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application October 1, 1957, Serial No. 687,542 Claims. (Cl. 40-130) This invention relates generally to display devices, and has particular reference to a display sign specially adapted to utilize the lighting obtained fronra'conventio'nal lighting fixture such as a fluorescent lamp, :to secure illumination for the sign.

It is an object of the invention to provide a sign which can be suspended' from or supported adjacent to a fluorescent lamp or other source of light andwhich will receive the light rays upon special reflecting surfaces-that project it through apertures in the body of thesign and thus produce the effect of a brightly-illuminated sign. It isa feature of the improved construction to makeit of such a shape, size and weight that it may be suspended from a conventional straight fluorescent tube at'a distance beneath the tube and parallel'thereto.

It is a general objective to provide a display signof the type mentioned which can be economically fabricated from inexpensive sheetmaterial such as cardboard; which can be formed from a single sheet of the cardboard;

which will collapse into flat form for convenient packing I and shipping; and which can be set up or assembled quickly and readily placed into operative position.

It is another object of the invention to provide a sign which can be selectively used with various sources of illumination and which will be attractive, attention-attracting, and useful to a merchant-or Storekeeper and in various environments.

With these objects in view, I havedevised the arrangement of parts now to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

Fig. 1 is a face view of the blank from which the improved sign may be produced;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing one end of the erected sign;

Fig. 3 is a view of one end of the sign in its flattened condition;

Fig. 4 shows the sign suspended froman illuminating source such as a fluorescent lamp;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the sign;

Fig. 6 is an end view of the same;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 77 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 8 shows one of the suspension hooks by which the sign may be suspended from a fluorescent tube or other source of illumination.

The improved sign consists generally of a trough-shaped cardboard body provided with an open top through which light rays from an adjacent light source may enter to.

reach reflecting surfaces located within the body. The side walls of the body are provided with lettering or designs in the form of cut-outs through which the light rays are projected to create the effect of a sign illuminated from a light source located within the body.

The sign may be made from a single section of cardboard. In. Fig. 1, is shown a single-piece blank from which the body of the sign may be made. It is provided rates i atent with-a central, longitudinally-extending score line 2 on The panels 3 and 4 are-similar in size and shape. Beyond the score line 6 is a section 7 constituting. one ofthe A-sirnilar outer side wallouter side walls of thebody. islocated'bey'ond the score line 5 and isshown at 8. Near the end of the outer wall 3 there is. a score line 9 and beyond score line 9 there is an edge flange 10.

Similarly adjacent to the end of the side Wall 7 thereis a score line 11 and beyond this is the. edge flange 12..

Extending laterally and angularly from each end of the wall 8 is a wing 13 connected to the wall 8 by the score-line 14.- The wing;,13 is providedwitha central score line 15 as well aswithan outer score line 16- beyond which is located asecuringstrip 17 carrying an adhesive by which itcan be secured to the end of the.

other outer wall 7. At its upper end, each of the wings 13 is formed with an integral flap 18, foldable on the score line 19. Each of the flaps18-is formed with a slot 20 for engagement with tabs 21, 22 provided on the edges of a notch 23located onthe score line 2 at' opposite ends of the blank.

In the production of thesign, the blank is folded on the severalscore lines2, 5, 6, 9and '11to form the blank into a substantially W-shape as-shown in'Fig. 7. The wings- 13'are nowfolded on the central score lines 15 in a manner tov bring them 'acrossthe opposite ends of the blank and permit thev securing flaps 17 tobe adhesivelyattached to the inner face of the wall 7 adjacent to the opposite ends of the latter. Eachend of the blank thereupon appears asshown'in Fig, 3, with the blank in flattened condition, so that it'canbe conveniently stored or shipped. When it is desiredto erect the sign to place.

it in operative condition, the wings or end walls 13 are folded on the score. lines-:14 and 16 to extend these wings flatly across the ends of the body. and thus cause.

the inner panels 3 and 4 to extend divergently downward atan-acute angle (with apexup); The sidewalls 7 and 8 then extend obliquely upward at an acute angle to thereflector panels 3 and 4 from the lower ends of the panels 3 and 4, substantially as shown in Figs. 2 and 7. The body is then maintained in this distended condition by infolding the flaps 18 on the score lines 19 and engaging the slots 20 with the tabs 21 and 22 provided on the upper edges of reflector panels 3 and 4.

When the device is erected in the manner described,

it will form a trough-shaped structure of considerable rigidity and stiffness, the upper edges of the outer walls 7 and 8 being reinforced and stiflened by inturning of the flanges 10 and 12 on the respective score lines 9 and 11.

Provided in the panels 3 and 4 near the central score line 2 are holes 25. The hooked ends 26 of two suspension rods 27 may be inserted through these holes. Each suspension rod 27, shown in Fig. 8, is provided at one end with a larger hook 28 which can be fitted over a fluorescent tube 29 mounted in the conventional manner in a lighting fixture 30, substantially as shown in Fig. 4. Provided in the outer side walls 7 and 8 of the sign are cut-outs 31 which may be in the form of lettering, designs or other indicia.

From the foregoing, the structure and use of the improved sign will be apparent. It can be shipped to the user in the flattened form herein described and as shown in Fig. 3, and when received by him it can be quickly erected by distending the panels and bringing the end walls into transverse disposition at the ends of the body,

Patented Feb. 3, 1 959 i.

then infolding the flaps 13 and engaging their slots 20 with the tabs 21 and 22. The hooks 26 are engaged with the holes 25, and the device can then be suspended from a fluorescent tube as shown in Fig. 4, so that the light rays will enter the open top of the trough-shaped body and impinge upon the reflector surfaces 3 and 4. These surfaces may be painted or otherwise coated with a suitable high-reflective material to increase their brightness. The rays of light striking these surfaces will be reflected through the cut-outs 31, thus creating the effect of illuminated lettering.

Since the device may be made economically of inexpensive cardboard and requires no expense for operation, since its-source of illumination is obtained from a conventional lighting fixture, the display sign is capable 1 of many uses for advertising or other purposes. it is staunch and Wear-resistant and can be used for long periods of time without deterioration. When its usefulness is at an end it may be collapsed and compactly stored, or (because it is so inexpensive) it may be discarded.

Although I have described only a single embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the invention is not to be restricted thereto but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

l. A display sign comprising a trough-shaped body provided with an open top through which light rays enter, said body being composed of hingedly connected sections of cardboard, said sections including a pair of inner panels arranged to form an acute angle with its apex up, said panels constituting reflecting surfaces, a pair of upwardly diverging outer walls, said walls being provided with cut-outs defining indicia through which light rays are directed by said reflecting surfaces, said panels and outer walls being collapsible into flat facing engagement with each other, a pair of end walls each hingedly connected to said outer walls and collapsible outward upon collapse of said panels and outer walls, an inturned flap upon each of said end walls, and retaining means on said panels for releasable interlock with said inturned flaps to retain said end walls inward against collapse, whereby said panels and outer walls are retained against collapse by the interlock of said end flaps and retaining means. I

2. A collapsible sign composed of a W-shaped cardboard trough-like body having a pair of panels disposed at an acute angle to one another and extending divergently downward, the trough being open at the top to permit the admission of light rays, the panels constituting reflectors for light rays entering into the trough, the trough having outer walls consisting of upward extensions from the lower ends of the panels, said outer walls being apertured so that light rays will be directed through the apertures, end walls at the opposite ends of the trough and each connected to the adjacent ends of said outer walls, said end walls being each provided at its top with an inturned slotted flap, each of the panels being provided on its top and adjacent to each of its opposite ends with an upstanding tab, the tabs entering the slots in the flaps to thereby hold the end walls against buckling and maintain the panels and outer walls in distended angular relation.

3. A display sign according to claim 1, each of said end walls having a medial fold afiording said collapsibility.

4. A display sign according to claim 1, each of said end walls having a medial fold affording said outward collapsibility, said inturned flaps each being hingedly connected to its respective end wall by a fold extending across said medial fold, and said retaining means comprising tabs projecting from said panels at an upward angle with respect to said end walls and engageable by said flaps.

5. A display sign according to claim 1, in which said reflector panels are provided with apertures adjacent to their upper edges, and suspension rods entering said apertures, and extending straight upward, their upper ends being provided with means for engaging a fluorescent light tube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,782,721 Frenkel Nov. 25, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS 21,589 Great Britain Nov. 28, 1907 34,818 France May 21, 1929 309,257. Great Britain Apr. 11, 1929 656,839 France Jan. 5, 1929 661,424, France Mar. 5, 1929 661,551 France Mar. 5, 1929 

